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State of Nebraska
A Guide to Searching for Nebraska Genealogy Information
Nebraska is right in the center of the country, and this position is what allowed so many people migrating around the country to pass through, and even to settle down. This is a state with an interesting history, and one in which genealogists can find a lot of strong material. We will look briefly at the ways to best seek out information for Nebraska genealogy projects, and identify some of the best resources in the state.
A Basic Approach for Nebraska Genealogy Research
Let's start with the basics – where to search for Nebraska genealogy materials. The most common approach is to use the computer to find out where archives and information have been "digitized" and made available online. Many museums, libraries, and organizations have gone to great lengths to make materials available, and it is essential that someone beginning a search for Nebraska genealogy information take the time to learn which of the resources can be found right from home.
When you take the time to identify the information at hand, you save time and energy that might have been wasted on a trip to an archive. When the material does require a visit to a resource, the computer can still help to ensure that the materials you need for Nebraska genealogy are actually at the site in question.
Identifying which of your materials for Nebraska genealogy are available online, and which demand a trip to a library or archive must be seen as the essential step in beginning the search for Nebraska genealogy data.
General Records for Nebraska Genealogy Data
You will see that public records are the most commonly and widely available. These are often online or at least listed in the site's collections. You can often find all of the records under specific headings that include:
- Local Records – traditionally, a state research project begins with a visit to a county clerk's office or website. Then you will probably need to visit local genealogical societies, small local libraries, historical societies, and school or college libraries for Nebraska genealogy information. These are items that are usually offline and viewable by appointment or special arrangement.
- Vital Records – these describe the birth, marriage, divorce and death records from county, state, and national archives. They can also include immigration and naturalization details, cemetery or obituary information, census records, newspaper items, military records, and passenger lists and records as well. These tend to be available as online or offline resources for Nebraska genealogy.
- State Records – this group includes probate information, private manuscripts, surname lists, newspapers, state census information, marriage details, military or veterans information, land records, maps, estate information, genealogical folders, death records, deeds, birth certificates, cemetery information and more. These are available as online and offline resources for Nebraska genealogy.
The Primary Sources for Nebraska Genealogy Information and Materials
The following sources will direct you to the information needed for Nebraska genealogy research:
Vital Records,
1033 O Street, Suite 130,
P.O. Box 95065,
Lincoln, NE 68509-5065 ;
Website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w/nebraska.htm
This is where you may order birth, death, marriage and divorce records via a written request or even through an online form.
Additional state and local records can be found at the Nebraska State Historical Society, 1500 "R" Street, P.O. Box 82554, Lincoln, Nebraska 68501; Telephone: 402-471-4751; Website: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/lib-arch/index.shtml. A large number of collections, including digital archives, make this a top-notch resource for anyone searching for Nebraska genealogy information. There are government records, photographs, manuscripts, and even sound recordings.
Also, consider using the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Resources Genealogy page at http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/ced/genealog.htm.
Finally, these three websites give researchers a tremendous amount of state-specific details for those in search for Nebraska genealogy data.
- The USGenWeb Project - http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ne/state/;
- State census records at Genealogy Research Guides - http://www.researchguides.net/census/state.htm; and
- Genealogy Today - http://www.genealogytoday.com/genealogy/states/nebraska.html
List of Nebraska Counties
Select a county from the table below to to view more information on genealogical information & records pertaining to each county.
The Nebraska State Historical Society has a microfilming partnership with the Genealogical Society of Utah to preserve county records. The county marriage registers have been among the first completed with naturalization and deed records in process. The available microfilm can be viewed at the Nebraska State Historical Society and the FHL. The Nebraska State Genealogical Society has published Research Guides for Genealogical Data for the majority of Nebraska’s counties. This ongoing project will publish additional guides in the future. Current links to each county’s government can be found at the State of Nebraska website. In the chart below, dates in parentheses indicate the year the county was organized as opposed to the year it was formed. “Original” counties were established in 1854 when territorial government was created. “Unorganized” land refers to counties added later from land not organized under territorial government.
The county clerk can be expected to hold county commissioners’ minutes, notary records, and delayed birth registrations. Other records of interest to the researcher include military discharges, voter registrations, estray notices, marks and brands, physician’s registers, farm and ranch names, and school registers. A few county commissioners’ minutes are at the Nebraska State Historical Society. Few births or deaths were kept before statewide recording (see Vital Records). Marriages are at the county clerk, deeds are at the register of deeds, and probates are at the clerk of the county court, as are court records dealing with civil matters.
